When you visit your dentist in Birkenhead, do you have a sleep-less night before the event or do you find yourself trembling when you go through the door and start sweating uncontrollably? Because if you do, you may be suffering from dental anxiety- a fear of the unknown, and this can prevent you getting the treatment you need to keep your mouth healthy. Some people would rather suffer the pain rather than going to the dentist, and this can lead to very dangerous complications in the mouth indeed. Although we are all different, the causes of dental anxiety are generally the same. Bad dental experiences can re-manifest themselves when the time comes around for the next appointment. Anxiety in older people stems from the days when there weren’t the modern methods and techniques around then, when they had their treatment- pain-free dentistry has come an awfully long way and continues to get better year by year, but some people still take some convincing. Once in the chair, you’re confronted by someone, possibly a stranger, with instruments in their hands, who has to get up-close and personal with you, while you are confined to the chair and by dental ‘law’, have to remain still at all times and the pain may come at any time. It all compounds any problems you may have. The best remedy is to do your homework and take control of your treatment. Find out all you can from your dentist but best of all, get to know your dentist, so that you can learn to trust them and dare it be said, even start to like them!
Archive for April, 2011
Facing Up to Your Dental Anxieties in Birkenhead
Sunday, April 24th, 2011Dealing with TMJ in Bootle
Monday, April 18th, 2011
It’s pretty safe to say, that most of us that live in Bootle, consider that dental work and procedures are done to maintain the health of just our teeth and gums. Truth is, it goes a lot deeper than that. Dental work also protects the occlusion or the ‘bite’ of the mouth and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This is where the lower jaw is attached to the upper jaw and it’s all held together by muscles and cartilage. An awful lot of stress goes through this joint every day, from normal processes like chewing, biting and speaking, to abnormal processes like teeth grinding or clenching. Regular dental work ensures that the correct bite is maintained to keep the lower jaw ‘true’ to the upper jaw when they are closed together. Such procedures include the fitting of braces and crowns, replacement of missing teeth and if needed, the treatment of bruxism through the use of mouth-guards; all these are done to relieve the stress on the TMJ as we go through life. If however, these are ignored, the head may become vulnerable to TMJ syndrome, that is, damage to the jaw’s joints. This manifests itself through jaw ache that can spread throughout the head and into the neck and upper back. The jaw may ‘click’ and become inflamed and painful and can also lead to damage in the ears and again, Any problems should be addressed immediately and may require a change in lifestyle because if not treated, the jaw may also require surgery to correct the problem.
Toxteth dentists help patients overcome their dental pain
Sunday, April 10th, 2011
Having painful teeth can make life extremely difficult. Just think about all the everyday activities you undertake which involve using your mouth: eating, drinking and talking, not to mention smiling. All of these things can be compromised if you are experiencing dental pain, leaving you anxious about simple things like going out for dinner. Don’t put up with dental pain; contact your Toxteth dentist so that the problem can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
There are a number of potential causes of dental pain. If you have suffered an accident which affected your mouth then your teeth might be in some degree of pain as a result. You might find that one or more of your teeth has become discoloured and is experiencing greater sensitivity. In extreme cases you might find that, after an accident, your teeth are aching almost all of the time. You might have a problem with the pulp chamber inside your teeth which will need to be dealt with so that your teeth retain their health and functionality.
A build-up of plaque might mean that you experience dental pain as your enamel is broken down, causing the nerves inside your teeth to be exposed. If cavities are forming then they will need to be filled, perhaps using cosmetic bonding techniques. Of course you should do your utmost to avoid this happening by making sure that you are brushing and flossing in the requisite fashion. Use a fluoride enriched tooth paste applied to a brush that is fit for purpose and brush your teeth for about three minutes. Once you have brushed, floss between your teeth because plaque can build up there too and cause you to feel dental pain.
Beat dental decay once and for all with expert advice and treatment from Merseyside dentists
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Taking care of your teeth involves looking after your gums, as well as your tongue but most people associate it with dental decay, the process of your teeth decaying. When people think of dentistry and oral hygiene many of them will have in mind the avoidance, diagnosis and treatment of decaying teeth. It is something that is worth taking seriously because having a tooth or teeth which are decaying can be a real pain. You might need to undergo invasive surgery but before it even gets to that stage you might experience discomfort.
Dental decay is primarily caused by the prevalence of plaque on teeth. Plaque is a substance which is formed when you eat and drink and breaks down the enamel on your teeth unless it is adequately removed. Once the enamel is compromised then small holes might begin to appear in your teeth and these will need to be filled so that your teeth can function as they are supposed to and you do not experience the sensitivity that comes.
Brushing and flossing are vital in the fight against dental decay because they are the main methods of removing plaque; using a fluoride tooth paste helps too as it works to strengthen enamel. Plaque can harden into tartar which can only be removed at the dentist as they use a special method which cannot be replicated at home. Visiting your Merseyside dentist also allows the experts to spot signs of dental decay early on. Once the symptoms have been spotted in the early stages then you and your dentist can beat dental decay before it gets to the stage where drastic action might be required.
Wirral dentists help patients overcome their problems with gum disease
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Far too many people simply put up with gum disease as if it is just a part of life. True, gum disease is pretty common but that doesn’t mean that it should just be lived with. Your dentist is an expert in all areas of your mouth, including your gums, and they can not only diagnose gum disease but also give plenty of handy advice about how to avoid it in the first place.
Just like tooth decay, the main cause of gum disease is the substance known as plaque. You can’t avoid plaque forming in your mouth, as eating and drinking almost anything will produce it. But there are foods and drinks which cause more of it to occur and, of course, you ought to be doing to your best to remove it as soon as it does form so that it cannot damage your mouth.
If plaque is left on the gum line of teeth then it can cause the gums to become inflamed. This is what’s called gingivitis and it is the most common and basic form of disease which can afflict the gums. Symptoms include greater sensitivity and visible redness to gums which ought to be a healthy shade of pink to look at. Gingivitis is pretty easy to deal with and usually requires little more than a tightening up of your oral care routine. Perhaps you will be advised to start flossing or brushing in a different way.
Gingivitis in uncomfortable and inconvenient but the real reason to sort it out is so that it can’t progress into periodontitis, where the inflammation spreads to the bones which hold your teeth in place. Talk to your Wirral dentist if you need any more information about the causes, symptoms and treatments of gum disease.